GAME INFO
- WKU (14-11, 7-7 CUSA) at Delaware (9-16, 5-9 CUSA)
- Wednesday, Feb. 18 | 6:00 p.m. CT | Bob Carpenter Center | Newark, Del.
- Watch: ESPN+ (PxP: Scott Klatzkin | Analyst: Bill Harmon)
- Listen: The Varsity Network (PxP: Randy Lee | Analyst: Hal Schmitt)
- Live Stats: StatBroadcast
- Social: @WKUBasketball | @WKUSports
- Game Notes: WKU | Delaware
ABOUT THE TOPS
- WKU Hilltopper Basketball completed a regular-season sweep of rival Middle Tennessee with an 82-80 victory on Saturday night inside E.A. Diddle Arena. Redshirt sophomore Teagan Moore tied his career high with 28 points off the bench in his return from a five-game injury absence. Senior forward Grant Newell added an efficient 20 points and seven rebounds, while LJ Hackman chipped in 14 as WKU shot 48.9% from the field and 87.5% at the free throw line, knocking down a season-best 28 free throws in conference play to seal the win and move to 14-11 overall and 7-7 in Conference USA.
- Depth has been a major strength for WKU this season as the Hilltoppers are averaging 33.0 bench points per game to rank first in CUSA and top-20 nationally. The WKU reserves have delivered a consistent scoring spark, topping 40 bench points five times, highlighted by 56 against Bethel, 54 against Evansville and 46 in both the Tennessee Tech and Campbellsville contests. The Hilltoppers have posted over 30 bench points in nine of their last 11 outings, including each of the last five games.
- WKU is among the top rebounding teams in the country, ranking top-25 nationally with 40.4 rebounds per game and top-15 nationally with 14.0 offensive boards per outing. The Hilltoppers have topped 40 rebounds in 15 contests this season, including eight CUSA games. In league play, WKU paces CUSA with 39.1 rebounds and 14.16 offensive boards per game.
- WKU has been forced to navigate a challenging stretch of injuries to key contributors this season, reshaping its rotation in both the frontcourt and backcourt. Graduate forward Bryant Selebangue suffered a torn Achilles against Marshall on Dec. 10 and is out for the year, while junior forward Louie Semona has been sidelined with a back injury following the Dec. 19 matchup with Tulsa. In the backcourt, graduate guard Terrion Murdix missed eight games after sustaining a knee injury on Nov. 27 against South Florida before returning to action on Jan. 8 at New Mexico State, and redshirt sophomore guard Teagan Moore was injured in the final minute of the Liberty game on Jan. 21, missing five contests before returning last Saturday against Middle Tennessee. Freshman guard Armelo Boone injured his ankle in practice following the Liberty game, sat out two games against Sam Houston and Kennesaw State, then returned to play three consecutive games before re-aggravating the same ankle, which kept him out of the Middle Tennessee game on Feb. 14 and leaves his status questionable for Wednesday's road game at Delaware.
- Redshirt sophomore guard Teagan Moore has emerged as WKU's go-to offensive option, pacing the Hilltoppers with 17.8 points per game to go along with 5.9 rebounds. He has reached double figures in 17 of his 20 appearances this season, scoring at least 15 points 16 times and posting seven 20-point outings. The Dry Ridge, Kentucky, native is putting together an efficient all-around shooting campaign, converting 50.5% from the field, 37.7% from beyond the arc and 81.0% at the free throw line. Those numbers place him among the league's elite, ranking third in CUSA in scoring (17.8 ppg), fourth in field goal percentage (50.5%) and fifth in free throw percentage (81.0%). Most recently, Moore matched his career-high with 28 points in WKU's 82–80 win over long-time rival Middle Tennessee on Saturday, Feb. 14, after missing five games due to injury. In that performance, he went 6-of-10 from the floor, 3-of-4 from 3-point range and a career-best 13-of-15 at the foul line, including a perfect 2-of-2 trip to seal the victory with three seconds on the clock.
- Senior forward Grant Newell has provided a reliable scoring punch in his first season on The Hill, averaging 12.0 points and 4.3 rebounds across 25 games. He has scored in double figures 18 times, including each of the last nine contests. Newell enters the week riding a hot stretch, totaling 43 points over his last two outings with 23 in the win over FIU and 20 more in the victory against Middle Tennessee. During that span, he has been highly efficient, shooting 15-of-26 (57.7%) from the field and 9-of-15 (60.0%) from 3-point range.
- Freshman guard Armelo Boone has emerged as one of the league's top newcomers, tying for a conference-best four CUSA Freshman of the Week honors while averaging 11.5 points, a team-best 6.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals. The Lexington, Kentucky, native has recorded three double-doubles this season — 16 points and 12 boards against Tulsa, 16 points and 13 rebounds at Sam Houston and 13 points and 13 rebounds against Liberty — to become the first WKU freshman with multiple double-doubles in a season since Charles Bassey in 2018-19.
- Graduate forward Blaise Keita has recently become a steady force in the paint for WKU, grabbing 44 rebounds over his last five games — the best five-game stretch of his Division I career. Against Middle Tennessee on Jan. 31, Keita dominated the boards with a career-high 14 rebounds while adding a season-high seven points, two steals and a block in a career-best 29 minutes, finishing with a game-high plus-20 plus-minus. Keita recorded 12 points and 10 rebounds in just 22 minutes for his second career double-double on Saturday, Feb. 5, against FIU. He shot a perfect 5-of-5 from the floor and 2-of-2 at the line, added a steal and finished with a team-best plus-15 plus-minus. It was his first double-double since Nov. 20, 2022, during his Nebraska tenure, when he had 14 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
QUOTABLE
- "Pleased to get a win on Saturday against Middle Tennessee. We took yesterday to gather ourselves and rest up a little bit. We'll start today preparing for Delaware and Liberty, a big road trip for us. Hopefully we can continue to play well and continue to build both short-term, hopefully with some wins, and long-term as we get to the end of the season. I'm looking forward to what's in front of us and ready to get to work this week." — Mahurin Family Foundation Head Coach Hank Plona, on the upcoming road trip at Delaware and Liberty.
SERIES INFORMATION
- Wednesday's matchup marks the first meeting between WKU and Delaware.
SCOUTING THE BLUE HENS
- Delaware enters Wednesday's contest with a 9-16 overall record and a 5-9 mark in Conference USA play. The Blue Hens are riding a three-game winning streak with wins over Middle Tennessee, FIU and Missouri State.
- Head coach Martin Inglesby is in his 10th season at Delaware. He holds a 156-153 career record at the program's helm.
How to follow WKU Hilltopper Basketball: For complete information on WKU Hilltopper Basketball, visit WKUSports.com or follow the program via social media @WKUBasketball on Instagram and X.
